


Second Chances

by Makou133



Series: Go With the Flow [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Canon, Blank Period, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Konoha Village, Missions, POV Third Person Limited, Post-Canon, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Sensei Orochimaru, Some Humor, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 00:45:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9854489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Makou133/pseuds/Makou133
Summary: Why did Kakashi entrust Orochimaru with the tutelage of his former subordinates? Only now, they were his genin pupils, and he was their sensei. His last attempt at training a team had been mediocre at best. Even the snake, as arrogant as he could be, could admit to his shortcomings now and again. This was one of them. However, it would seem Kakashi must have some amount of faith in him. He couldn't deny the orders of the Sixth Hokage.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another timestamp of sorts, check out my other stories, I try to keep it as cohesive as possible! This particular time stamp follows directly after my other story, Assignments.

Orochimaru exited the doors of the Hokage office, Makou and his new team at his side. The early morning sunlight had brightened, suggesting that it was probably a little after 9. They had been speaking to Kakashi far longer than he had realized. Makou stretched beside him. 

“Man, Gai’s team. I bet Lee’s already done at least 200 laps around Konoha. If not more. I better get used to running like that again. I have to practice doing it on my hands to...” She exhaled heavily, letting her arms fall to her sides. The Sannin looked at her, curious of the implications of her words. 200 laps or more? And people thought he was cruel. Suigetsu must have shared his sentiment. 

“Wait, run that one by me again. Did you say two hundred laps? Around the largest village in the Fire country? On your hands!?” Suigetsu gave a sideways glance to the snake. “That’s how you guys train here in the Leaf?” Orochimaru chuckled, amused by the shark toothed man’s assumption. He hadn’t known much about Maito Gai, but he was renowned for his taijutsu ability and eccentric training styles. To assume his way of doing things was typical was absurd.

Makou grinned, “Oh yea, that’s how Team Three does it! How else would I have such a lean body?” Makou’s hands traced the sides of her form. Orochimaru’s eyes followed her movement. He was still adjusting to her openness about herself. Also her body had matured considerably in his absence.

Karin seemed to disagree with his inward assessment. “Not much of a body if you ask me. Hardly anything to look at.” She hitched her glasses. “Why If I weren’t medically trained I may question if you were a grown woman, but your giant stature at least helps you there.” Karin snickered before Makou’s hand shifted into a sharp wooden stake. Makou’s normally cheerful eyes glowed with ferocity. The Sannin looked on, somewhat amused by the sudden change as Karin stiffened with fear. Behind her, Suigetsu and Juugo watched with baited breath.

Orochimaru wouldn’t mind Makou giving Karin a small prod, but he opted to step in instead. Makou had become unpredictable and somewhat brash in his absence. Normally she had been very calm and level headed when he would train her. It would seem after his supposed death, she had decided to do away with her usual demeanor. The serpent recalled the way she had looked at him on the battlefield during the war. Her eyes had been wide and bloodshot, insanity had clearly taken hold of her for a period of time. He sighed and placed a hand on her outstretched arm. 

“Now, now Darling,” The Sannin turned towards Makou, a wicked grin across her features. “No need for such force.” She didn’t pull back, but she didn’t proceed any further. Feline eyes met with his own. Her chakra seethed from her body menacingly, more than likely not noticeable to Juugo and Suigetsu, but Karin was very aware of it. The snake’s lilac-lined eyes flashed dangerously, his tone lowering, no longer amused. “We are within the village borders, you don’t want to ruin the chance we were just granted do you?” He eyed a chunin who had stopped to observe them. Makou’s eyes followed. She relaxed and pulled back. 

“Aw, pity. I haven’t gotten a chance to have any real fun since the war.” The wood shifted back into flesh, fading then disappearing. “We can play later though, can’t we?” Makou sounddd innocent enough, however she said it while glaring at Karin. Besides passing each other here and there in the lairs, Makou and Karin had never interacted at length. It was obvious they had distaste for each other, but judging by Karin’s shocked expression she hadn’t been completely aware of Makou’s power. Normally, the raven haired girl kept her energy hidden- like the rest of the Senju, she had large reserves of it. She had learned excellent control of her ample chakra under the snake’s tutelage.

Orochimaru chuckled, it was hard to be upset too long, but Karin swallowed hard. “Perhaps we shall do a little sparring back at home. After I assess these three as a team on our mission, would you like to assist me Makou?” He raised a slender eyebrow. 

“That could be fun Orochimaru-sama. Well, I better get going, see ya Suigetsu, Juugo, and,” Makou paused as she glanced at Karin. The red head appeared to be about to make a comment, but bit her cheek instead, the Senju kunoichi leaned in towards her. “Karin.” the words were sharp and taunting. It would seem Makou had picked up a few of the serpent’s mannerisms. Makou glanced at the sun, “I better hurry, Gai-sensei doesn’t like tardiness!” She grinned widely, waving back at them as she took off towards the training grounds. 

As she left the pale man folded his arms across his chest. He hoped that she would calm down as the events of the last few months faded into the past. However, he had experience enough with war to know that some images will continue to haunt no matter how far away they were. Orochimaru sighed, turning to his now leaf genin team. 

“Ya know, it would have been nice to have her around after Sasuke recruited us, maybe then it wouldn’t have been so intolerable.” Suigetsu eyed Karin, a smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

Before Karin could retort Orochimaru held up a hand. Sasuke obviously did not know how to keep them in line. The snake's tone was commanding as he spoke. “Get ready for the mission. Do not linger. You will meet me by the village gate in a half hour. Understood?” The three nodded but didn’t move. His pressed his lips into a thin line. Still they didn’t budge. “29 minutes.” His words were precise, and they seemed to get the hint. 

“Right, we go now!” Suigetsu grinned sheepishly, pointing downwards with his hand before scuttling off, Karin and Juugo followed behind him. Orochimaru pinched the thin bridge between his eyes before exhaling. He would need patience to deal with their bickering and lack of discipline. Though, he considered as he made his way to the commissary, it couldn’t be much worse than Sasuke and Makou. They too could be quite a nuisance on missions- at first. They were young and had still needed to be trained in the way he expected them to execute his orders. He knew Karin didn’t need to be taught, he had entrusted her with warden duty for several lairs. However, he assumed that Karin probably had the mindset that her, Suigetsu, and Juugo were not equals, seeing as the last two had been experiments -not subordinates. Suigetsu had been on missions, but never formal. He had been a rogue ninja from the start, roaming around with the Swordsmen of Kiri; Juugo had never been on any missions whatsoever, save for whatever Sasuke had them do. Kakashi must have high regards for his ability he lamented inwardly. 

He looked up from his ponderings as he approached his goal. He could see the storefront, it had been in the same location he had remembered it to be, but its appearance had changed. The building was small, likely from the shortage of resources the village currently had. Stacked behind the counter were boxes piled high. A few shinobi lingered about, but waiting behind the counter stood a violet haired woman. Her long beige trench coat hung next to her on a hook; she seemed to be rummaging through one of the many boxes. Not the face Orochimaru had been expecting to see, considering she had been on his first team of genin. 

He didn’t hesitate as he walked to the counter, holding the scroll out with a pale hand. Anko called out distractedly from where she had her back turned. “I’ll get to you in a second, give me just a mome-” She had glanced in Orochimaru’s direction before freezing in place. Much to the snake’s amusement he learned the contents of the box she had been digging through as a shuriken spiraled towards him. He caught it skillfully between slender fingers. The kunoichi’s face scrunched up as she snarled: “What are you doing here?”

The Sannin held up his scroll with his other hand, waving it to make his point. “I need my assigned gear.” He said it smoothly, raising his brow to question her. Anko quickly grabbed the scroll from him, opening it to survey the contents within. Her face darkened as she read it. 

“No way. You of all people are a-a..." her voice faltered, "a sensei? What kind sick, twisted joke is this!?” The last words cracked with a mixture of fury and hurt. She turned away, her back once again facing him. Orochimaru wasn’t exactly surprised at her reaction, she had been intent on killing him the last time they had spoke during the Chunin exams 4 years prior. 

“It would seem the Rokudaime believes I have a knack for teaching disciples.” He said it lightly. However, he could see her reflexively reach for where her curse mark had been. The mark had disappeared when he had emerged from it, in its wake was some minor discoloration from the wound that had healed. Orochimaru observed her as she slowly made her way to the back storage area, returning with a flak jacket and fatigues. She didn’t however set them on the counter. 

A moment of silence passed before she took a steadying breath. “You know,” She spoke softly, but her oaken eyes were stern as she looked at the serpent. “I never thought it would be me who ended up being your path back to life.” She shook her head. “I spent most of my life trying to hunt you down and rid this world of your forsaken existence, and yet once you were gone…” Her words drifted alongside her gaze. There was a pause before she continued to speak, “It should have been Makou. Now I have to live with this burden, and I don’t get a happy ending. I just get used against my will. All I’m left with is bitter memories and anger.” She set the clothes on the counter. 

Orochimaru didn’t reach out immediately for them. He let his former student's words sink in. Anko was right, there was no atonement for her. The serpent knew that for her killing him was the only pathway in her mind to make up for being his student. He knew enough about her stubbornness and adamant nature that to her it was the only way to reach peace. It had been robbed from her, and not only that- what she had wanted was the exact opposite of what she had been used to do. Next to Makou, it was a safe bet that Anko had been the next most devoted follower he had, she too had a unique outlook on the world. The state that their teacher/student relationship had been left in had not only left her raw, but him as well. She could have been an asset. He sighed as he placed a hand on the gear in front of him. Orochimaru no longer needed pawns, nor devoted subordinates. It was in his best interest to allow the breeze to do what it pleased, instead of force it into motion. 

“Perhaps one day, you will forgive me Anko. And perhaps, my dear,” She grit her teeth at the pet name, but her cheeks reddened. “We may even carry out a mission on the same squad. Admittedly, neither of us saw the future leading to here. Who’s to say what more it holds? Very few people are like us. Inevitably, you will come to realize it. Makou will as well. We seek more from the world around us. We observe, and we plan. Social conventions hold no purpose when one can see the big picture.” He picked up his flak jacket and fatigues, eyeing the violet haired woman. 

A fist slammed down on the wooden counter in front of him. “That’s it!?” She screamed, “Years of pain and you tell me I’m like you?” She clenched her fist. The other shinobi shifted around, but didn’t seem to be worried. Anko could be hot headed. She continued, her voice a low growl. “But you’re right. You’re always right. Always HAD to be right. It’s why stupid, naive little girls follow you because in a world full of things that don’t make any sense, you show us a path that finally does.” She grabbed her coat from where it was hanging, throwing it over her shoulders. “I can't deal with this. Not right now, I'm out. I’m getting dango.” She jumped over the counter, then to the roof before disappearing behind the next building. 

Anko hadn’t changed much, but her ego had obviously taken a beating seeing the serpent. Orochimaru turned away from the counter, making his way to barracks where he could change. 

He would have lingered on their interaction longer but he had a mission to complete. Not only that, he wasn't sure what more he could do. Anko would come to him when she was ready. The serpent knew she would at some point.

\------

Orochimaru stepped out, his flak jacket still in hand. In a way it was somewhat odd for him to not have the familiar weight of the robe obi around his waist. The Sannin wasted no time in getting to the gate. He stood waiting for his team to arrive, they had about five minutes left to get there. He had already reviewed the mission in the scroll he had received from Kakashi. It was a B rank mission, and would probably take a few days to complete. 

Orochimaru understood it well enough, even if he felt the task was dreary and not at all exciting. After the war there were still outliers of different villages who had been rogues. They were to go after a former Leaf shinobi and bring them back. The serpent could also see why this mission would be perfect for someone like him. He recognized the name of the ninja whom they would be tracking, not an exceptionally powerful man- but if you wanted to be as successful of an S class nin as Orochimaru had been- you needed to know the enemy of your enemy. 

The snake felt that in the coming months his purpose to the village would be to lend them his knowledge of other rogues floating about and bring them in. From their, he guessed, those captured would be put on trial for their crimes and given a chance to reform. It still didn’t quite make sense to him, why they would grant someone who had committed the atrocities he had amnesty. Orochimaru decided not to focus on it, instead he slipped into the flak jacket, zipping it up. As he did, he could see Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo approach. He grabbed the headband from his pocket, tying it beneath his hair. 

“Man, don’t you look, uh…” The shark toothed man paused as he looked for the right word. “Well I guess I can see why you prefer purple. Blue makes you look washed out.” Karin’s eyes went wide beside him. Orochimaru ignored the remark, instead assessing what formation would work best with their strengths.

“How dare you speak to Lord Orochimaru with such indignity.” Karin went to swat at the swordsman, but the snake grabbed her arm. 

“No more of that.” Orochimaru spoke authoritatively. He really was not keen on them acting like children. Karin receded quickly, turning in on herself. “It would seem your precious Sasuke lacked the skills necessary to keep you three in line. Karin.” She straightened, hitching her glasses. “I expect you to remember the training I gave you, Suigetsu and Juugo, I understand you have not formally been trained under me.” He turned his attention to the swordsman and the incredibly tall red head. 

Suigetsu somewhat hid behind the tall man, using him as a shield. “Well I was in a tank so no, I didn’t get to be like miss hotshot over there.” Orochimaru raised a slender brow, as he folded his arms across his chest. 

“Well then, allow me to enlighten you Suigetsu, I do not appreciate impudence. Seeing as you are now my underlings I’ll grant you some lenience- but I expect both of you to follow my orders to the letter.” He kept his eyes trained on Suigetsu who averted his gaze. 

Juugo nodded, confirming his agreement. Suigetsu made a face, “ Yea, yea. I get it sensei.” 

“Good, then we shall proceed. Our mission is fairly simple, and should be of no difficulty to accomplish. A standard track and capture mission. Karin you may perhaps recognize the name of the shinobi we need to bring back to the Leaf.” He handed her the scroll contains the mission objectives. “Of course your expertise in tracking will be an asset.” He turned away from her as the serpent continued to explain. “His whereabouts are mentioned as being in a town about a day’s journey from here.” 

“Sounds easy enough.” Juugo spoke softly. Despite the tall man’s current demeanor, Orochimaru was curious to see just how much control he had gained over his kekkei genkai. 

They departed into the forest, heading North. Karin was first, followed by himself, then Suigetsu, and Juugo brought up the rear. Orochimaru could faintly sense a fifth member, they were about 20 meters behind them. Karin glanced back at Orochimaru, a look of questioning across her features. He grinned. Alas, he had thought it too good to be true, they had a keeper. The Sannin wasn’t surprised though. In retrospect, had sensed lurking chakra here and there previously, but in the village it was hard to tell if it was someone tracking you, or just a passerby. Good, he thought, he’d have a little game to play to ease his boredom with the mission. They came to a stop about an hour into their journey, Suigetsu guzzling water. 

“It is hot! You’d think in the leaf village it’d be cool and shady.” The swordsmen grumbled. Orochimaru gathered that Suigetsu was the type to always have something to say. It contrasted starkly with Juugo’s silent and mostly stoic personality. He stood a ways off, birds flitting about his broad figure, occasionally landing on him. Karin had her hands on her hips. 

She spoke under her breath. “So who’s tailing us? You didn’t seem concerned about it.” She motioned towards the direction of the fifth member, who was somewhere hidden in the forest, awaiting them to get moving again. Orochimaru chuckled lightly as he leaned against a tree. He wondered who it could be that they sent. They had hidden themselves fairly well, and he couldn’t quite place who’s chakra it was that he sensed. If he went after them he’d be able to get close enough to tell. That would ruin the game however, and the snake wanted to see if he could figure it out first.

She tapped her foot impatiently as he hesitated to reply. “I suspect it's a leaf nin, probably sent to keep an eye on us. More specifically me. I’ve noticed around the estate there have been cloaked chakras in the forest. I had initially assumed it was just various shinobi training, but it would seem I’m not as free as I first thought. I’m sure you’ve sensed them as well?” He looked to the red headed girl, who was eyeing the forest. 

She hitched her glasses. “They’re the same three chakras, one reminds me of the Giante- I mean Makou. This one feels like it might that one. But it’s hard to tell. They’re keeping pretty good distance, and they’ve cloaked themselves well. Whoever it is, I don’t think they were expecting us to catch on.” Orochimaru allowed a wicked grin to spread. A mokuton user. Other than him and Makou that left one other. However, Karin said she wasn’t sure. It’d be easy to tell once they got to somewhere with less trees. 

“Well let's get moving, I’d hate for this to drag on any longer than it has to.” Orochimaru pushed himself off the tree. 

“Gee, I didn’t realize we were such a burden.” Suigetsu drawled. “And here I am on my best behavior.” He took another sip of his water bottle.

\------

They continued until a little past nightfall, stopping in a merchant town. It was the sort of place that had gambling and a red light district. Orochimaru recalled the many missions with Jiraiya and Tsunade that had them stay in a village much like this. Tsunade often would go gamble and he would be dragged along by Jiraiya to act as wingman. Some nights he would humor the toad and play his part well, others, he simply couldn’t be bothered. He’d head back to whatever shoddy inn they were staying at and read one of the many scrolls he had packed for the journey. Eventually his teammates would pile in, drunk and stumbling. The snake, of course, would already have their mats prepared and have positioned himself in the most favorable spot in the room. 

Orochimaru was pulled from his reminiscing by the bickering of two of his students. 

The pale man let out an exasperated sigh. They were going to make him to snap. “Darlings you’re both pretty, now kiss and makeup.” His tongue flicked around his lips, causing the two to shudder. 

“Please don’t ever do that again. I have to sleep ya know.” Suigetsu made a face and motioned to his mat on the floor, Karin hitched her glasses, red in the face. Orochimaru hummed at the reaction he elicited. 

“It’s more fun to watch you squirm.” The Sannin got up from where he was sitting as he approached Suigetsu, who dove behind Karin. Orochimaru let his shoulders drop, sighing at the swordsman’s cowardice. “Oh come now I’m not so bad, am I?” 

Karin shoved him off of her mat onto his. Suigetsu muttered under his breath, “What did I do to deserve this?”. Orochimaru made his way back to his own.

“Don’t get started again. Sleep. We leave in 5 hours. We should get to the village where our target resides midday tomorrow. I expect we will have him captured by nightfall if all goes well. He shouldn’t be too terribly difficult to find. He’s not exactly careful about hiding himself.” The serpent waved his hand in emphasis as he spoke.

Once again Suigetsu started mumbling as he covered himself with the blankets the inn had provided. The Sannin didn't pay much attention but heard something about not liking to be watched in his sleep. 

Soon it was still in the somewhat cramped room, the steady breathing of sleeping forms occasionally being interrupted by people on the streets below yelling in drunken slurs. 

Orochimaru didn't really feel the need to sleep, and he was sure neither did his underlings, but the reprieve provided by the silence of sleep was welcomed. The moon was high in the sky; it was a fairly clear night. A few clouds drifted along the horizon. He could also still sense the faint chakra of whomever was keeping an eye on them. He suspected it may be Tenzo, if Karin’s hunch was correct. Usually she was, that was part of what made her so appealing to him; that and her healing chakra. 

He leaned his head back against the wall his bedding was situated against. The Sannin tried to remember the last time he had actually went out on a mission. It had been almost a year that he had been within the curse marks seals of Sasuke and Anko. Makou’s mark was unique, and though a part of his consciousness was within her as well, Mai Mai had put up her own walls that he could not see past. Hers was also never designed for the body switch ritual, much like most of the sound five. The snake assumed she must have come to that conclusion herself. If she had tried to use her own seal to bring him back, it would have failed. 

Prior to Sasuke’s attempted defeat of him, he had been severely weakened for a few months, due to the host body he was in having begun to deteriorate. Add on to that the time since the war. It had almost been a year and a half since Orochimaru had been out and about. 

Vaguely he recalled the mission being one Makou and Sasuke had to work on together, the serpent had already felt a few of the tell tale signs that his body would be giving out soon. A persistent fatigue, easily bruising, joints aching -a normal human body could only handle so much. The mission was one of the many tests he had set up for Sasuke to evaluate his progress. The Uchiha of course had been exemplary. 

The snake decided to busy himself with one of his scrolls. Despite the dimness of the room, his reptilian eyes adjusted easily to read the carefully calligraphed ink. It hadn't felt like long when the first lights of dawn broke the horizon. Already the other three in the room began to stir. Juugo was the first to wake, followed by Karin. 

“Lord Orochimaru, you’re already awake?” Karin questioned him as she quickly folded up her mat and blankets. 

The Sannin cast her a glance, “I suppose one could conclude that.” She tilted her head to the side. She didn't pursue her inquiry further however, instead directing her attention to the lump still buried in his blankets. 

“Get up lazy.” The kunoichi shoved him with her foot. From beneath the covers came a grunt. 

Slowly, Suigetsu sat up, blinking blearily in the still barely lit room. “There's no way that was five hours. I just closed my eyes.” The shark toothed man whined the last part. 

\------

They had made their goal of reaching their destination by midday, it was a typical outpost town. There were civilians walking about, some wearing typical garb for fire country residents. But as close as they were to the border, one could pick out a few from neighboring countries. Orochimaru instantly recognized those who wore straw hats and long boots. They were civilians from the rice paddy country. 

While Otogakure was still a functioning village after the attack on Konoha, he was curious what it looked like now since he no longer was mastering its operations. He doubted any of the people he passed recognized him, nor those who he was traveling with. Most of the civilians in that country had been unaware of the deal that had been made with their feudal lord. There were however murmurings of people going missing, a necessary part of having fresh bodies to experiment on. 

They came to a stop near an alleyway. He was familiar with this town, as he had used it to facilitate his initial meetings with the feudal lord of the nearby country. The rogue they were after would surely show up at one of the neutral businesses that allowed the sort of shady dealings criminals frequently organized. 

“Karin, you wouldn’t happen to know our target’s chakra signature would you?” Orochimaru faced the kunoichi, who seemed to be concentrating. She shook her head after a moment. 

“Other than us, I don’t sense a familiar chakra. Do you know his primary nature? I can narrow it down at least.” She folded her arms across her chest. 

Orochimaru reached for the scroll in his pocket, he glanced over the contents. “It appears he uses wind nature. He is last listed as being a tokubetsu jounin in rank.”

Karin hitched her glasses. “Got it.” It didn’t take her long to find matches to their target. The red head had reported at least 10 in their area that had the same chakra nature and appeared to have the power level they were looking for. In the description of the mission, it had been stated the rogue had been seen as recently as a few days ago. Hopefully he hadn't moved on.

Orochimaru decided to have them search in pairs. Karin and Juugo would search the East side of the village, and he and Suigetsu would search the west. Upon hearing their assigned partners, Suigetsu frowned.

“Why can’t I be paired with Juugo?” The pale haired shinobi turned his head to the side, shifting his weight to the opposite leg. 

“Well you and Juugo don’t have any tracking skills to speak of, and I certainly don't want to be paired with you and your reeking chakra. It's hard enough to concentrate with you even being here.” Karin hitched glasses matter of factly, the light reflecting off of them. 

“Karin, it is split up so each pair has the best balance of ability. Since you lack any real combative skills, Juugo more than makes up for it, in addition to the fact that you and I are the better trackers.” Orochimaru stated it plainly, Suigetsu smirked at the redhead as he spoke. 

“Of course Lord Orochimaru.” She turned her head away, blushing slightly from embarrassment.

“Good, now let’s get done with this, I’ve already grown bored. Meet here in 4 hours, I suspect we should have him by then, if not then I’ll have to send a report to Kakashi.” Orochimaru muttered then lept to the nearest roof, Suigetsu followed quickly as the other two departed in the opposite direction.

As the pair surveyed the western area of the town, Orochimaru couldn't help but allow his mind to wander. It was quite a boring mission, the serpent had concluded even if they did cross paths with their query, the ensuing fight would be amusing at most. However, it would be interesting to see how his now students would handle the situation. Despite their bickering, they seemed to get on well enough and follow orders, but working in tandem did not seem like a strong suit. Of course training as a team is what builds the most effective squads, yet this mission required they separate and search. Orochimaru sighed, Hiruzen had managed to get he, Tsunade, and Jiraiya to seamlessly work together. On the other hand, the serpent was far more accustomed to training pupils individually. Even when he had a team of genin, the other two students never could hold a candle to Anko. He almost felt bad, he could hardly remember their names. 

“Are we being followed?” Suigetsu piped up from behind the pale man. Orochimaru came to a stop, pausing before answering the boy’s question. Indeed they were; the sannin sensed the familiar chakra that had been tailing them since they left the village- only this time it was far closer. It would seem the pursuer had decided to keep a much more watchful eye on him. Perhaps, Orochimaru considered, him being almost alone had caused some amount of worry. A grin spread across his lips. 

“We are. Since we left the village. Pay it no mind.” He waved a pale hand dismissively, causing the shark toothed man to pull a face. 

“Whatever you say.” Suigetsu shrugged. 

\------

It was almost time to start heading back to the alley way they had split from when Karin came up beside them. “Good news I hope?” Orochimaru smirked at Karin, who looked somewhat roughed up. 

“Juugo and I have our target, he has already been restrained and subdued my Lord.” She bowed slightly. 

“Excellent. Then I suppose we can depart immediately.” The snake spoke smoothly. Good, now he can get to the real fun of playing with his tracker. 

Karin led them to where Juugo had the rogue, he was unconscious and somewhat bloodied. He was bound by rope, but nothing else. Orochimaru tilted his head, somewhat disappointed by such a large oversight. Then again, he doubted any of them knew any sort of sealing type jutsu. Lesson number one he supposed. 

“I suspect this will be our team’s primary mission type, and because of this, I feel you all will need to learn basic seals for restraining a captive for an extended period of time.” The serpent’s pale hand deftly formed several hand signs before glowing bright with violet chakra. He leaned forward, placing his hand against the man’s head, a small symbol forming on his forehead. He looked over his shoulder-Karin was nodding, but the blank look on Suigetsu’s and Juugo’s faces suggested they weren’t catching on as quickly.

Orochimaru retracted his arm, letting it fall to his side before straightening. “That will be one of our first goals as a team.” The sannin turned to face them, “Now come along darlings.”Juugo hoisted the shinobi over his shoulder. 

\-----

They returned to the village by nightfall the next day. Orochimaru had already gotten a head start on the mission report he would have to turn in assessing how the mission went over. A truly mundane task. At the village gate they were met by several ANBU who took custody of the captive. Interestingly, Orochimaru didn’t recall ever notifying the village of their expected return.

He dismissed Team Hebi before initiating his plan to confront his pursuer. Orochimaru could sense him hiding in the trees, and if it were indeed who he thought, then the forest would play to his advantage. However, it would seem they had forgotten or were unaware of his most recent acquisition. Not only that, but he was quite versed in Makou’s usual tactics to conceal herself. He grinned as he let his game of predator and prey begin. 

He stepped quickly, rushing through the trees kilometers per second, and after gaining enough distance, made a shadow clone as a decoy. The snake focused as he hid his chakra, a skill that he had honed so that all but the best trackers would be able to discern his presence. He allowed his chakra to fuse with one of the many trees in the forest. It was different than his usual technique of binding with matter, in that instead of displacing the matter around him and sealing himself within, he was instead merging with the wood of the tree with his now mokuton chakra nature type. The serpent had done it before, with the help of his beloved, but the feeling was still something he had trouble getting used to. 

Now came patience. He had to wait for the exact moment that his prey got close enough to his trap that he could strike. Orochimaru wasn’t planning on hurting them, simply frightening, slightly. Plus, having someone stalking him for so long, he felt it was only fair to get the same pleasure in return. The clone needed no instruction to look “natural” he supposed the best word was to describe it. His clone had the Kusanagi blade in hand, practicing footwork. 

Time ticked away as he sensed his target draw near, slowly. One may think such waiting would be agony, but Orochimaru enjoyed it just as much as any other part of the hunt. The anticipation only made the reward all the sweeter. He could sense his prey flit about, shifting position here and there; it wasn’t long before he detected a pattern. Orochimaru grinned, waiting for the cycle to pass, the rush of adrenaline that came before the assail already coursing through him. His muscles tensed in anticipation, before uncoiling as the serpent struck. 

The Sannin had to time it just right, as he felt himself melt away from the tree, he need to merge with the one beside his target. In moments Orochimaru felt himself consumed by the dense wood of the tree, surrounded by pitch. His target hadn’t sensed his sudden change in position, as they still remained in the tree near the snake. Slowly, he allowed himself to emerge from the tree, facing the direction of where his clone was dutifully training. As he peered ahead, his amber eyes caught sight of brunette hair. It would appear it was indeed Tenzo. He slipped out of the tree completely, landing softly on a branch. Carefully he creeped towards the tree Tenzo waited in. 

This time Orochimaru used a far more familiar technique to him as he slithered around the base of the tree, winding up it. He stopped just a few feet away from the leaf nin. In times past, this would be the last moment before his prey would be taking their final breath. He chuckled inwardly. How fortunate for Tenzo he was a changed man. He pulled himself up onto the branch before creeping next to his pursuer. 

“Such skill, neh?” Orochimaru hissed, closing the distance between him and Tenzo. While the snake had certainly been looking forward to finally confronting his tracker, he hadn’t quite expected the reaction he got. 

His former experiment’s eyes looked ready to pop out of his skull as he seemed to be forcibly ejected from the tree he was in. As he fell he hit a branch on the way down before landing on the ground pathetically. To the Sannin’s surprise however, the man turned into a crudely shaped wooden figure with a puff of smoke. Tenzo stepped out from below him. 

The brunette avoided Orochimaru's gaze as he spoke “They wouldn’t send an amature to track you. Then again you almost had me. If you had lept out a minute sooner, I wouldn't have had enough time to react.” Orochimaru smirked, leaning against the tree. In the distance the clone disappeared in a similar fashion as the substitution. 

“I suppose as a legacy of mine, I should expect no less from you Tenzo.” The pale man jumped down, the ground making a soft thud. The brunette noticeably winced as the snake spoke his name.

“Yes well as fun as that was, we aren’t supposed to make contact.” Tenzo made an ”X” with his arms. Orochimaru tilted his head, bewildered. In a way he almost felt offended. The village had assigned him a personal watch but they couldn’t interact? The Sannin shrugged. 

He shook his as he replied “I suppose it can’t be helped then.” The serpent folded his arms across his chest, opting to not let his annoyance show. Tenzo bowed before turning away and vanishing into the darkness of the forest. Orochimaru pursed his lips. He was tempted to keep pursuing him, but his initial curiosity had been satiated. Now he was left to wonder why they couldn’t interact, several plausible answers circled in his mind as he made his way back to the village.

He walked along the perimeter, still somewhat caught up in thought. However an odd sight met his eyes as his serpentine form rounded a bend. His beloved leaned against the large stone wall that surrounded the village. However, she wasn’t on her feet, her weight was supported on her hands. Her face was red with effort as she attempted to steady herself; above her was a large poster scribbled with what could only be described as loud writing. Orochimaru observed the number 150, and a brief message alongside a poorly drawn doodle of what he assumed was Gai doing a one handed push up while in a hand stand.

Makou seemed to be visibly shaking from strain as she attempted to balance on one hand, before ultimately buckling and falling off to one side. Despite usually being quite graceful, as her arm crumpled beneath her, green eyes widened as her face plummeted into the dirt. She shot up immediately, noticeably furious. A gloved hand brushed her hair and soil off her face. The Senju slammed her foot on the ground, causing the ground to turn and cleave. She turned around, readying herself to try again when a determined stare met with his. Once again Makou’s face flushed, this time it was likely caused by embarrassment. She shifted uncomfortably, her hands picking at the edges of her gloves. It was adorable watching her become flustered. 

Orochimaru chuckled, “Oh, don’t mind me.” He approached her as she eyed him, her bushy brows pulled together. “So it would seem Gai took no mercy on you your first day.”

Makou glanced to the poster on the wall before sighing defeatedly. “I completed 5 laps of the 25 lap cool down.” She let her shoulders drop. “Tenten completed 14 before calling it quits. And of course Lee did about 50. I wanted to do at least 10 but there’s no way. Unless I want to break my arms” Orochimaru scoffed. This was a cool down? He pondered what could have possibly been the main training. As he surveyed her, he could see the kunoichi’s bangs were plastered against her skin from sweat, and her clothes had smudges of dirt. 

“Whatever would you do without arms?” He couldn’t contain the somewhat smug tone out of his smooth voice. The young Senju pouted, casting her eyes to the upended soil. 

“If only I were as great and powerful as Lord Orochimaru.” Makou quipped sarcastically. However, the snake didn’t miss a beat. 

Orochimaru hummed, as he walked past her, leaning close to her ear. “If only.” Vines lashed at him, missing as he sauntered away. “Ah, don’t start what you can’t finish my sweet.” She pivoted, dashing after him. 

She stopped suddenly, eyeing the woods near them. Orochimaru had known it wouldn’t be long before Tenzo once again was on his trail. The raven haired girl shook her head before coming up next to him. She cocked her head to the side, giving him a questioning stare. “I have a keeper.” his answer only seemed to bewilder the kunoichi more. “Don’t fret over it.”

She took the suggestion and changed course “Well I’m starving, have you eaten yet?” Makou inquired, sounding somewhat fatigued. Now that he thought about it, most of the mission they had periodically nourished themselves with food pills and other basic rations. The serpent could certainly go for a meal. But, judging from her disheveled look, he doubted Makou was planning on cooking anything at home. Chances are Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo had already come to the conclusion that they’d have to fend for themselves. That would leave eating out.

The thought of casually dining within the village walls was still a luxury he was not quite accustomed to. It was oddly comforting seeing many of the family owned shops still going strong, and even though the store fronts had changed, the scents stirred up memories within him. Orochimaru nodded, “I’ll let you decide.”

Makou placed a hand under her chin, leaning to the side. “Well I don’t feel like chewing. I’m too worn out. So, ramen?” The pale man raised a slender brow. 

“Ramen? Are you sure not curry?” Makou blushed her eyes lighting up.

“Oh, uh…” She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I’m surprised you remembered.” She avoided his looking him in the eye. “But, Lee and I had a bit of a contest earlier. They have a new curry bowl with this unique capsicum that’s indigenous to the wind country. It has an interesting adaptation…” She trailed off, pulling a face. “Long story short, I already had curry today.” 

\------

It had been no question as to where they would be getting ramen, and even he knew the path well. It was odd, despite there being several ramen shops in konoha, shinobi flocked to Teuchi’s little stand. He supposed it came from ingrained tradition. Even he remembered ordering ramen from Ichiraku when he was still a genin alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade. 

He thought back to his completed mission with his own genin team. Despite the briefness of the task, and his limited interaction with each of them, he had still assessed some core strengths, as well as weaknesses. However, being that they were all teenagers, the task of training them would prove to be somewhat of a challenge. He had planned several simple training regimens to build up the one main weakness between the three. Their ability to work as a team was lacking. As individuals they were all strong in their own right, he wouldn’t have chose them as subjects if they were not. But, unlike Sasuke, Kabuto, Makou, or even the sound five, they had never received any structured training. 

A pale hand brushed the noren out of the way as the pair took a seat. The sounds of floating voices and footsteps echoed around the busy night streets behind them. Though Ichiraku was quite popular, it was never completely full. Most of the shinobi regulars were on missions, and considering that the wake of the war had left the village shorthanded, many were out on missions. Ayame quickly turned around, greeting them. 

“Good evening, what will it be for you two?” Her demeanor was cheerful, but Orochimaru could sense the eyes of the other shinobi on them. If Makou also sensed it, she didn’t seem to care, or was too tired to.

The Senju ordered first, “I’ll have Miso ramen with Chashu pork, no bamboo shoots please.” Makou turned her eyes to the serpent. 

Ayame glanced at him, and though he was sure she thought she was hiding it well, the snake’s keen senses could pick up the traces of nervousness and fear within her. 

“A Shoyu tamago ramen, with two extra eggs.” the brunnette girl jotted down their orders before pinning them to a shelf. Makou snorted beside him. 

“You want a side of ramen with your eggs?” She giggled. 

He ignored her as she continued to snicker. He could have ordered three.


End file.
